Revised Pompei to Normandy

How much time do you have? You're talking about covering very long distances by car. If you only have a week or two and you're trying to drive from Milan to Rome to Paris, you're going to spend most of your time on the highways. That's hardly my understanding of "soaking up the culture". Also, in large cities like Milan, Paris, and Rome, the car is likely to be more of a headache than it's worth. Particularly in Rome.

I would suggest you plot out the cities you want to visit on a map, and then spend some time determining the driving time between those cities. I found the Michelin website to be helpful when I was planning driving times, but be sure to add in a extra time for getting lost, traffic jams, stopping for sightseeing, and hunting for parking.

The other thing that could make a big difference in driving time is what time of year you're going – are you going to be dealing with high-season crowds/traffic or bad weather?

One other planning tool that might help you come up with a realistic plan is the app (and I assume there's a website) Rome 2 Rio. I would not use it for precise planning, but it will show you the various transportation options between two cities and how long It takes to get between those cities. That might help you decide what is realistic. For example, I believe Milan to Paris, which you are proposing from a Milan home base, is about 500 or 550 miles, which is certainly too long for a day trip and I think would make a tiring weekend trip, with way too much time on the road.

And my experience of driving in another country is that I don't see much scenery in transit, because I'm very busy trying to figure out road signs and markings, follow directions, deal with maps or GPS, and handle narrow roads and/or very fast drivers.

Thank you, Sherry

I will take what you said very seriously. I don't know what I am doing and I need all the help I can get.

Since you mention both Pompeii and Normandy in the title of your message, I assume they are important to you.

One possibility would be to fly into Naples and stay 2 nights if you want to do Pompeii and maybe Herculaneum, or add a third night if you want to also see archaeological museum in Naples and explore. Then take a high-speed train from Naples to Rome. Once you're done visiting Rome, fly to Paris on one of the low-cost airlines (check skyscanner.com for flight information). Then I believe you can do a (long) day or overnight trip from Paris to some of the Normandy sites, although I've never done it; I believe there are organized group bus tours out of Paris, which might be easier than figuring it out on your own. Alternatively, you could rent a car outside of Paris and drive to Normandy. Then visit Paris and fly home from there.

The most important thing is how much time you have for this trip, and that's something I don't know. Everyone has a different travel style and my preference is to see fewer places but be able to explore them in more depth. Consequently, if I had one week I would only do one or two cities; if I had two weeks I would do no more than two to four cities. However, your style may be different. Also, assume that your arrival day and probably the next day will be inefficient – depending on how you deal with jet lag.

Sherry,

Thank you again. I need to explain. I was writing the topic you read in response to the comments I got from the original topic I wrote a couple of days ago. I just assumed you had read it.

I will have 8-9 days in Europe. The original responders said I didn't have enough time to do what I wrote the first time, so the entry you read was in response to what they suggested.

I wish I had more time but I only have two weeks and with four days traveling to and from Europe, eight or nine days is all I got.

straboo,
Have you considered taking a tour? Rick Steves' offers someamazing options. You will see more with a professionally guided tour than on-your-own. They know what they are doing and will give you the most for your time and money.

Don't assume you will never be back! Pick one country/area (i.e., either France or Italy for example), take one tour, then see what the future may bring. Like many of us here, you may suddenly be a convert to travel and give upmany other things in life just so you can travel more! And even if you only manage to go on one tour, it will be the experience of a lifetime!

BTW, 2 days each to/from Europe does not make sense to me. Usually one flies from North America (assume that is where you are starting?) and lands on Day 2. You can leave Europe on Day 14 and still be home to sleep. he next days at work will be a challenge, but who cares? :-)

I agree with Sherry and Laurel. Look at train times as well as driving times.

I am not much of a tour person, but the Rick Steves tour members that I run into (on their free time) all seem happy.

Travel (and lots of it) is s priority for me and I cut back on lots if things in the U.S. to make it happen (my car is 11 years old, for example). But not everyone can do that, I realize. Still, you never know what the future will bring.

Backtracking to a base would be a waste of time and Milan doesn't work as a base for visiting Paris and Rome by either car or train. Milan is somewhat expensive, not top of the list for tourist sites, 7.5 hours from Paris by fast, expensive train (flying can be cheaper, if booked ahead), and 3 or more hours from Rome. Rick’s Train Travel Time & cost Map gives you an overview of faster train travel times in hours, as well as regular (full-price) 2nd-class fares. Along the same lines suggested on your first thread, a logical plan for 9 days would be to choose two destinations in Italy to connect by train (hotels in each), then fly to Paris, or vice versa.

Rick's frequent advice is to plan that you will return. Whether you will or not, there has to be a balance between quality and quantity of stops on your route. If this is a "once in a lifetime trip," and you're spending a lot on airfare to get to Europe, I'd do everything possible to make the trip longer. See more trip planning tips at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/itinerary-tips.